The Excuses of Moses
Exodus 3 & 4
• God called to Moses from the midst of
a burning bush
• God called Moses to the task of leading
the children of Israel out of Egyptian
bondage
• In response, Moses gave excuses as to
why he was not the man for the job.
“Who Am I?”
But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I
should go to Pharaoh, and that I should
bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”
Exodus 3:11
“Who Am I?”
• Moses had been gone from Egypt for 40
years, a mere shepherd.
• He was an 80 year old man.
• God’s response: “I will certainly be with
you” (vs. 12). (This should be sufficient)
• God is with us, too! (Romans 8:31)
Romans 8:31
What then shall we say to these
things? If God is for us, who can be
against us?
“Who Am I?”
• Moses had been gone from Egypt for 40
years, a mere shepherd.
• He was an 80 year old man.
• God’s response: “I will certainly be with
you” (vs. 12). (This should be sufficient)
• God is with us, too! (Romans 8:31)
• God makes us sufficient
(2 Corinthians 3:5-6; Philippians 4:13)
2 Corinthians 3:5-6
Not that we are sufficient of
ourselves to think of anything as
being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is
from God, 6 who also made us sufficient as
ministers of the new covenant, not of the
letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but
the Spirit gives life.
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ
who strengthens me.
“What Shall I Say?”
Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I
come to the children of Israel and say to
them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me
to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His
name?’ what shall I say to them?”
Exodus 3:11
“What Shall I Say?”
• Moses knew if he went to the children of
Israel, they would have questions for him.
• He felt inadequate, in need of guidance.
• God’s immediately told him what to say:
“Thus you shall say” (vs. 14).
Exodus 3:14
And God said to Moses, “I AM
WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus
you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM
has sent me to you.’”
“What Shall I Say?”
• Moses knew if he went to the children of
Israel, they would have questions for him.
• He felt inadequate, in need of guidance.
• God’s immediately told him what to say:
“Thus you shall say” (vs. 14).
• We too may feel our knowledge is
inadequate, but God has given us what to
say! (Mark 16:15-16; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4)
Mark 16:15-16
And He said to them, “Go into
all the world and preach the gospel
to every creature. 16 He who believes and is
baptized will be saved; but he who does not
believe will be condemned.”
1 Corinthians 15:1-4
Moreover, brethren, I declare to you
the gospel which I preached to you,
which also you received and in which you stand, 2
by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that
word which I preached to you--unless you believed
in vain. 3 For I delivered to you first of all that
which I also received: that Christ died for our sins
according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was
buried, and that He rose again the third day
according to the Scriptures.
“Suppose They Will Not Believe Me?”
Then Moses answered and said, “But
suppose they will not believe me or listen to
my voice; suppose they say, ‘The LORD has
not appeared to you.’”
Exodus 4:1
“Suppose They Will Not Believe Me?”
• Moses seems to be afraid of failing. This
shows a lack of faith in God’s help.
• God gives him three strong signs: The
Rod (4:2-5); His Own Hand (4:6-8); and
the Water (4:9).
Exodus 4:2-5
So the LORD said to him, “What is that
in your hand?” He said, “A rod.” 3 And
He said, “Cast it on the ground.” So he cast it on
the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses
fled from it. 4 Then the LORD said to Moses,
“Reach out your hand and take it by the tail” (and
he reached out his hand and caught it, and it
became a rod in his hand), 5 “that they may believe
that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of
Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,
has appeared to you.”
Exodus 4:6-8
Furthermore the LORD said to him,
“Now put your hand in your bosom.”
And
he put his hand in his bosom, and when he took it
out, behold, his hand was leprous, like snow. 7 And
He said, “Put your hand in your bosom again.” So
he put his hand in his bosom again, and drew it out
of his bosom, and behold, it was restored like his
other flesh. 8 “Then it will be, if they do not believe
you, nor heed the message of the first sign, that
they may believe the message of the latter sign.”
Exodus 4:9
“And it shall be, if they do not
believe even these two signs, or
listen to your voice, that you shall take water
from the river and pour it on the dry land.
And the water which you take from the river
will become blood on the dry land.”
“Suppose They Will Not Believe Me?”
• Moses seems to be afraid of failing. This
shows a lack of faith in God’s help.
• God gives him three strong signs: The
Rod (4:2-5); His Own Hand (4:6-8); and
the Water (4:9).
• We too may allow a fear of failure to keep
us from sharing the gospel. Remember,
the power is in the Word! (Romans 10:17)
Romans 10:17
So then faith comes by hearing,
hearing by the word of God.
and
“Suppose They Will Not Believe Me?”
• Moses seems to be afraid of failing. This
shows a lack of faith in God’s help.
• God gives him three strong signs: The
Rod (4:2-5); His Own Hand (4:6-8); and
the Water (4:9).
• We too may allow a fear of failure to keep
us from sharing the gospel. Remember,
the power is in the Word! (Romans 10:17)
• We too have proofs (John 20:30-31)
John 20:30-31
And truly Jesus did many other
signs in the presence of His disciples,
which are not written in this book; 31 but
these are written that you may believe that
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that
believing you may have life in His name.
“I Am Slow of Speech”
Then Moses said to the LORD, “O my
Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor
since You have spoken to Your servant; but I
am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”
Exodus 4:10
“I Am Slow of Speech”
• God was unmoved by this excuse.
• He knows the inadequacies of those He
calls (4:12). He gave Aaron to be a
spokesman (4:14-16).
Exodus 4:12
“Now therefore, go, and I will be
your mouth and teach you what
shall say.”
with
you
Moses did not need to worry about
his speech or tongue. God knew of his
impediment, but would through His
power give Moses what was needed.
Exodus 4:14-16
So the anger of the LORD was kindled
against Moses, and He said: “Is not Aaron
the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak
well. And look, he is also coming out to meet you.
When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15
Now you shall speak to him and put the words in
his mouth. And I will be with your mouth and with
his mouth, and I will teach you what you shall do.
16 So he shall be your spokesman to the people.
And he himself shall be as a mouth for you, and
you shall be to him as God.”
“I Am Slow of Speech”
• God was unmoved by this excuse.
• He knows the inadequacies of those He
calls (4:12). He gave Aaron to be a
spokesman (4:14-16).
• We sometimes make the same excuse.
But, it did not stop Paul! (1 Corinthians
2:1, 3-4)
1 Corinthians 2:1, 3-4
(2:1), And I, brethren, when I
came
to you, did not come with
excellence of
speech or of wisdom declaring to you the
testimony of God.
(2:3-4), I was with you in weakness, in
fear, and in much trembling. 4 And my
speech and my preaching were not with
persuasive words of human wisdom, but in
demonstration of the Spirit and of power.
“I Am Slow of Speech”
• God was unmoved by this excuse.
• He knows the inadequacies of those He
calls (4:12). He gave Aaron to be a
spokesman (4:14-16).
• We sometimes make the same excuse.
But, it did not stop Paul! (1 Corinthians
2:1, 3-4)
• At the least, we can arrange studies for
others (cf. Acts 10:24,33)
Acts 10:24, 33
(10:24), And the following day
they entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius
was waiting for them, and had called
together his relatives and close friends.
(10:33), “So I sent to you immediately, and
you have done well to come. Now therefore,
we are all present before God, to hear all the
things commanded you by God.”
Please Send Someone Else!
But he said, “O my Lord, please send by
the hand of whomever else You may send.”
Exodus 4:13
Please Send Someone Else!
• Moses simply did not want to go. He
was shirking his responsibility, and
angered God (4:14)
Exodus 4:14
So the anger of the LORD was
kindled against Moses, and He said:
“Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I
know that he can speak well. And look, he is
also coming out to meet you. When he sees
you, he will be glad in his heart.”
Please Send Someone Else!
• Moses simply did not want to go. He
was shirking his responsibility, and
angered God (4:14)
• The previous excuses were simply a
smokescreen. Here was the real problem!
• We can be guilty of the same. Our
“reasons” are really only smokescreens.
We do not want to do what the Lord
requires of us! If so, we need to repent!
Romans 1:15-16
So, as much as is in me, I am ready to
preach the gospel to you who are in Rome
also. 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel
of Christ, for it is the power of God to
salvation for everyone who believes, for the
Jew first and also for the Greek.
If we are unwilling to serve God by
preaching the gospel, who will?
Conclusion
• The rest of the story. Moses answered
God’s call, and led Israel out of Egypt,
and to the borders of the land of
promise.
• What will be the rest of our story? Will
we continue with excuses? Or lead the
lost to glory?